However as Texas only allows a HELOC on your Primary Residence, I don’t want to lose this facility if I move to a new place (and I want to comply with the rules!).

Rules and Regs might be different now but it was easy enough then. 

The rules are the same for everyone.

I'm not sure which places are best to focus on with rules and regulations getting strict in some places. 

I feel like they play by more subtle or more aggressive rules that I don't understand quite as easily as simpler markets like Denver and even places like San Francisco.

The ruling was appealed. 

If not again you would be better off buying your own home and having enough yard/space for all of them but 13 is still way to many dogs unless you live on a farm or own acres of land.I have worked in the banking business and have seen people lose their homes that they rent due to landlords kicking them out with very little warning due to breach of contract or a No pet rule. 

The few rules, may be missing some, to manage STRs:1)Own the listing2) The asset acquisition is the underlying investment.

That's why I am here. first thing I learned in RE is I for sure dont know everything and very few folks do.. we are all learning even at 50 years of doing deals I learn new things every week.. thats why I am on BP you have also 50 states rules and laws are not nationwide so I like to know how each state works when it comes to transactional real estate and development.

The OTA initially ruled against paying.